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Sometimes it seems like Alexei Ratmansky is remaking the classical canon, one ballet at a time. He restaged Le Corsaire and Flames of Paris back when he was director of the Bolshoi. Dutch National Ballet premiered his take on Don Quixote in 2010. He gave The National Ballet of Canada a new Romeo and Juliet in 2011. He took a risk with his unconventional Firebird for American Ballet Theatre in 2012. And ABT has made his delightful Nutcracker an annual New York tradition.

Sochi's glittery closing ceremony last night celebrated Russian culture, and no such celebration would be complete without ballet, of course. But leave it to the Olympics to bring Russia's two great—and very competitive—ballet houses together.

Georgian dancer Nina Ananiashvili was a star of the Bolshoi and, later, American Ballet Theatre. She may be blessed with endless arms and legs, but it's her warm generosity that makes her so endearing; you always want to root for her. Today, Ananiashvili is artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia. She's about to celebrate her 51st birthday—and she's still dancing.

Here's a video of Ananiashvili performing Giselle's Act I solo with the Bolshoi. Happy #ThrowbackThursday!

Central Pennyslvania Youth Ballet, the former training home of stars like New York City Ballet's Ashley Bouder and Boston Ballet's Kathleen Breen Combes, is accepting applications for its male scholarship program. Selected participants will receive a two-year tuition scholarship to the year-round division, as well as the summer intensive and August training program. CPYB will also offer a 22-month housing stipend.

Since you're all avid Pointe readers, I'm sure you've heard us repeat it over and over: Healthy fats are essential to a dancer's diet. Your body needs them to absorb vitamins, balance out hormones and make you feel full and satisfied.

It may have been snowing Sunday night in New York City, but that didn’t stop students, parents and teachers from flocking to The School at Steps Pointe Shoe Workshop and Fair, part of the school’s Complete Dancer Series, sponsored by Pointe.

We have to hand it to the Russians. Olympic opening ceremonies are always brilliant spectacles, but rarely do they involve appearances by world-class ballet dancers.

Last Friday night, the Sochi opening ceremony offered a smorgasbord of rich, theatrical images, many of them created by Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark choreographer Daniel Ezralow. But the highlights for us bunheads were appearances by Russian ballet sensations Svetlana Zakharova, Ivan Vasiliev and Diana Vishneva.

Attention, New York City–area dancers! The School at Steps, a division of the legendary Steps on Broadway, is hosting its annual Pointe Shoe Workshop & Fair (sponsored by none other than Pointe) this Sunday night.